Educating Linguistically Diverse Students: A Mixed Methods Study of Elementary Teachers’ Coursework, Attitudes, and Practice

Abstract

This study followed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. Phase I involved the collection of quantitative data to examine inservice teachers (N=69) attitudes about language and linguistic diversity as well as their teacher education coursework. All participants were graduates from the same teacher education program. Phase II included interviews with a subsample (n=9) of Phase I participants. The interviews were used to explain teachers attitudes and practices with regard to linguistically diverse students and special education. Findings indicate that teachers professional practice vary based on teachers understanding of and attitudes about policy, assessment, and instructional practice. Findings suggest that teachers actual professional practice is inextricably linked to and contextualized in classroom, school, and district structures. Implications for teacher education are discussed.